


Business and Pleasure

by Fumm95



Series: Shades of Light (The Hei Sisters) [5]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Legends - All Media Types, Star Wars Legends: The Old Republic
Genre: Character Development, F/M, Fluff, Light Side Sith for life, Pining, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-03
Updated: 2016-08-03
Packaged: 2018-07-29 00:38:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,447
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7663381
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fumm95/pseuds/Fumm95
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Quinn had never been one to mix business with pleasure, and it was ridiculous that he was even considering it, since their relationship was strictly professional. Wasn't it?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Business and Pleasure

**Author's Note:**

> A continuation of sort of Chains of Command, because I decided I wanted to replay the Quinn romance AGAIN and I have a lot of Quinn pre-romance feels. Like, yeah, Quinncident is a good source of feels but mutual pining is my kryptonite.
> 
> I should note that the Sith opera Varius and Adriana (and the characters it’s based off of) belongs to erunamiryene, who graciously let me reference it briefly.

When Quinn first met Darth Baras’ new apprentice, he had not been told anything other than his own task; Lord Baras had always been laconic, and even more so as of late, it seemed, as he received his assignment. The task of keeping an eye out on a Republic investigator who, strangely enough, was investigating one of their own, was not exactly what he was expecting, unless…

But he trusted Baras, knew that the Sith had planned the pieces and distributed information as was necessary. Knew that he owed Baras everything, and it wasn't his place to bring up observations that weren't pertinent to his task.

After all, he had learned his lesson well enough with Broysc, and he hadn't earned Baras’ attention by being slow-witted or argumentative. He knew his master tolerated no disrespect, nor disobedience.

Which made this apprentice, this Yinliang, all the more fascinating.

From what he gathered, she was everything that must put Baras’ teeth on edge, behind that cold, unreadable mask. She was light-hearted, kind, and _sassy_. Almost flirtatious, her grey eyes sparkling with amusement and good humor.

And she was utterly, undeniably captivating.

The request to join her crew escaped his mouth before he could even think, slipping out unbidden as soon as the Sith answered his call. He fought the urge to fidget as Darth Baras said nothing, leveling a long look at him clear even from through the holo and behind the mask.

“You wish to join my apprentice’s crew,” he said at last.

It was more statement than question, but even so, Quinn nodded, biting his tongue to prevent any more words from falling out of his mouth. And still the silence dragged on, long enough that he began to wonder whether Baras had different plans for him. But no, Baras had never given him a reason to doubt the man’s word, unlike too many of the men he had had the misfortune to serve under.

“Very well, lieutenant.” The clipped tone cut through his thoughts and for one terrifying moment, Quinn wondered whether his thoughts had been detected. But Baras seemed more… amused than anything else, something that likely should have been more concerning to him. As it was, however, he could barely restrain the jolt of excitement and _something_ that shot through his veins like lightning, let alone pay full attention to his master’s all too capricious mood shift.

“Thank you, my lord.” His words nearly tumbled over themselves in his enthusiasm.

“Then I shall leave you to pack and catch my apprentice before she leaves Balmorra, lieutenant.”

As was typical, Baras hung up before he could respond, leaving him silent, frozen for another heartbeat. There was so much he needed to do still. Belongings to pack, arrangements to make, commanding officers to notify…

And yet, all he could think about was the persuasive arguments he could use to maintain that she would benefit from letting him join her side. The fizzle of excitement over the prospective of better serving the Empire that he had not felt in years.

The fact that he would get to see her again.

* * *

In retrospect, perhaps he should have expected it. After all, she had been mildly coquettish from the start, teasing him barely after they first met on Balmorra, pushing his limits, testing the boundaries of his decorum until he couldn’t help but react.

It was just part of her nature. She laughed with Vette, seeming to have already adopted the twi’lek as a younger sister, and a particularly annoying one at that. She was borderline disrespectful with Lord Baras, talking back and questioning orders with a flippancy that he was sure he would never understand or dare attempt; it was a wonder in it of itself that Baras still tolerated her, though perhaps it made sense given the secretive nature of their mission.

And she _teased_ him. A bright, joyful smile bubbling on her lips, she’d make small talk, inserting gentle jabs at his serious demeanor, at his focus on his duty. Surely that was all any of her flirtations and coquettish expressions were: attempts to get him to loosen up.

In a way, it matched perfectly with the woman who never failed to request his opinion before making decisions, who went out of her way to ensure all of her people, even the ship’s fastidious protocol droid, were as comfortable, as respected and relaxed, as possible. There was nothing more to it than that. There couldn't be.

So then why did every smile, every comment and look, make his heart beat a little faster?

* * *

Quinn woke up, panicked, furious. For another second, blackness surrounded his vision and his temple throbbed, a pulsing ache that drove any coherent thought out of his mind before fading into something that was, though not insignificant, was at least manageable.

He was lying on the ground, sprawled and left in that position, the hard sand and rocks digging into his back. Heat. Tatooine. His lord had been talking to someone, convincing them to stand down. The Jedi Master, Yonlach.

And Yonlach had knocked him out. But the cacophony of cries and the fierce hum of lightsabers failed to reach his hearing. Which meant…

For a sudden moment, his heart leapt into his throat. He had left her alone to face off two Jedi, both reportedly stronger than most Sith, and though she could probably hold her own against one, against them both, without him, he couldn’t be sure. She had always been reckless, more inclined to protect, trusting him to have her back, and he jerked to his feet, half-dreading that he would find her, weaponless and surrendering, or worse.

But no, it was the Jedi’s apprentice on the floor, looking for all the world as if he were sleeping, and the Master himself leaning against the table engaged in what looked to be a generally civil discussion. And his lord, appearing hardly worse for wear, thankfully bearing only a few minor scratches and scrapes, seemed to be _scolding_ him for whatever happened to the young Knight, disapproval clear in her form. He almost smirked.

Lecture finished, she turned to face him, and he couldn’t help but straighten, stiffening into a semblance of attention, as she approached. “My lord, I’m sorry I was of no use to you. I did not anticipate the Jedi’s incapacitating tactic.”

For a brief moment, grey eyes met his and something seemed to flicker in her gaze, too quickly for him to identify. A hint of shame, perhaps, mingled with relief and something else, something that set his pulse _racing_. Almost absently, she reached up, brushing a stray curl behind her ear, and his hand, tucked safely behind his back—and out of sight—in parade rest, twitched.

And then she smiled, a warm, genuine expression, and the spell was broken.

* * *

“My lord, is this entirely necessary?”

“Don’t tell me you’re not enjoying this.” When he said nothing, she paused, turning to offer him a small smile, though she had a more thoughtful expression on her face than he would have expected. Certainly more than he would have received from most people whose decision he questioned. “I know; it doesn’t really feel right to me either. But General Organa was right, you know. We don’t have any quarrel with her, and we did rather decimate her forces.”

He frowned. “Surely Duke Kendoh—”

“Duke Kendoh was never going to like me after the incident with Lady Alde and frankly, after everything else that’s happened, I couldn’t care less.” She sniffed, a disdainful sound that somehow sounded more fitting for the planet than anything else she had said or done thus far, though he didn’t dare point it out. “Why Alderaan is a popular planet to visit, I will never understand.”

“My lord,” he interjected, glancing towards the tunnel entrance, “Ulgo reinforcements are approaching.” A pause as he considered. “It sounds like an entire battalion. I believe the worst is yet to come.”

She nodded, drawing her saber. “Let’s stay sharp.” As he settled into position beside her, her mouth quirked into a hint of a smile. “You like Alderaan, though, don’t you?”

“It certainly has a more reasonable climate.” He paused, letting his lips twitch with amusement before turning to watch her expression. “In regards to your previous statement, however, I believe most people who visit Alderaan are here to relax, not chase down the family of a mysterious Jedi padawan.”

For a second, she froze, staring at him, and then her entire face seemed to light up. “Captain Quinn, did you just crack a _joke_?”

In spite of himself, he felt his limbs stiffen. “I— That is— Yes, my lord.”

Even without looking, he could tell she was still grinning that infernal grin at him when Ulgo’s forces began pouring back through the tunnel. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard you so lighthearted before. Vette once called you Captain Stuffypants, you know.”

His eyebrow twitched. “She did what now?”

A pause as she threw her saber, dispatching a soldier aiming for him, before turning to face him with a suddenly apologetic smile. “Whoops. I probably shouldn’t have said that.”

He shrugged, firing off a shot at one of the droids. “Well, it’s not much worse than Captain Protocol.”

“ _Captain Protocol_?”

The mirth in her answering smile as she turned to look at him more carefully should not have been captivating, nearly blinding in its brilliance, but for one moment, he couldn’t look away. The next second, his stomach plummeted as she glanced down in surprise and crumpled.

Two shots that he didn’t remember firing dropped the man, and then he was running towards her, his heart in his throat, ignoring the rest of the battalion and the rallying cries from the rest of General Organa’s troops. Nothing mattered except—

“My lord?” His hands shook as he reached for the kolto pack tucked into his pouch. “I’m sorry, my lord, I—”

She shook her head, grimacing as he helped her straighten. “Not your fault. Should have been paying more attention.” A hiss as he applied the kolto to the wound, thankful that it was more superficial than it had first appeared. She was in no immediate danger, though he doubted she would be particularly active for the next few days. _Thank the stars_.

The words fell from his lips without thinking: “Didn’t lose you.” Only in the next second did he realize what he had said, and froze, busying himself with carefully packing up the remains of his kolto supply.

When he finally chanced a look up, grey eyes were watching him steadily, so intense that he nearly looked away before she tilted her head. “So serious. I’ll be fine. You won’t be rid of me so easily, you know.” She seemed to hesitate, examining his face, and then a more lighthearted smile crossed her expression as she surveyed the rest of the clearing. “Give me a hand. Let’s tell General Organa that we’ve won.”

He shook his head, even as he helped her to her feet. “You are far too reckless.”

“I know,” she shot back over her shoulder. “But I know you’ll take good care of me anyway.”

He forced a small smile in response, though he wondered if she noticed that his hands were still trembling, even hours later.

* * *

“If there’s something you want to say before the end, now would be the time.”

He froze, glancing at her. To any bystander, her face was calm, stoically resigned. But he knew her better than that, could see the way she avoided his gaze, focusing solely on the computer, slowly working through their haphazard inputs. As much as she wanted to believe otherwise, it was entirely possible that they had failed. That, in spite of everything they had already faced down, it would be their end.

And she knew that there was something that he wanted to say.

He swallowed hard, hating his internal chronometer slowly counting down the seconds. Nine. Eight. Those three words would only take one, but even so, they seemed impossible, sticking, cloying, in his throat.

Her eyes flickered towards him, then away the next instant, but even so, he could see the sadness hidden in their depths.

Seven.

He opened his mouth. “I believe you know how I feel about you, my lord.”

For once, he managed to catch her off-guard; she gaped at him, not even pretending to be staring at the terminal.

“Vault code sequence complete.”

Five seconds. Neither of them so much as blinked.

“Vault lock disarming.”

Four.

"Vault door airlock releasing."

His stomach clenched.

Three.

She opened her mouth.

“Vault open.”

She blinked. “Hurry inside!”

He followed, hot on her her heels, as she darted inside and the door slammed closed behind them. They were safe.

Then why was he almost disappointed when she finished dealing with General Minst and returned to duty without so much as a backward glance?

* * *

He was watching her again. That in itself shouldn’t have been anything unusual—she was his commanding officer, after all—but his focus should have been on her activities, on the strange encrypted communications he had been finding, on the other ways they could aid the Empire. Not on her smile, on the way she subconsciously toyed with the curl that would never stay in her braid while she was reading. On her smile whenever she found something he’d enjoy, whether they were a recording of _Varius and Adriana_ —though he had never figured out how she knew that was his guilty pleasure—or a new blaster.

On the way her face lit up with a mix of mirth and delight whenever she flirted with him. It couldn’t mean anything. She was friendly, was open and cheerful, with everyone and yet…

And yet, every time he dared respond, she’d grin as if he had gifted her something valuable, something she’d always treasure. And as much as she might chat with other people, including their newly acquired crewmate, she was never so straightforward, so direct, with her attentions, with her flirting.

“ _So I excite you, do I?_ ”

He had tried to pretend that her words were meaningless, had tried to put them out of mind. Nothing had worked. Nothing _would_ work. Except maybe…

“Is there a problem, Captain?”

He opened his mouth to reply in the negative, but then paused. It wasn’t an ideal time, but then again, would there ever be a better time? And it wasn’t like he cared about her answer either way, right?

He took a steadying breath. “My lord, you’ve caused me some difficulty, and I’d like to confirm that it was unintentional…”


End file.
